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3232[Cricket] CWC 2019 – New Zealand At The World Cuphttp://blog.super8.in/cricket-cwc-2019-new-zealand-at-the-world-cup/
Sat, 25 May 2019 06:32:44 +0000http://blog.super8.in/?p=3272The ‘Black Caps’, always the dark horses in ICC multi-team events announced their 15-member squad for the World Cup almost 20 days before the 23rd April deadline. Signalling intent and clarity this campaign,... more]]>The ‘Black Caps’, always the dark horses in ICC multi-team events announced their 15-member squad for the World Cup almost 20 days before the 23rd April deadline. Signalling intent and clarity this campaign, the fifth favourites for the tournament arrive with an experienced, balanced squad and the conditions should suit big hitters such as Martin Guptill who will be crucial to their chances. With an impressive ODI record in England his importance at the top cannot be understated.

Expectations at World Cups have, since the turn of the century at least, been the same – to reach the semi-finals. In part this is because that has, largely, been their lot. New Zealand have reached the final four seven times – in 1975, 79, 92, 99, 07, 11 and 15. World Cup 2015 saw the rise of New Zealand once again as the superpower in the cricket world. The side led by Kane Williamson managed to reach the Final of the tournament, albeit they got creamed by Australia in that one-sided final. The current New Zealand team does not have the same buzz and hype surrounding it that it did going into the 2015 World Cup. Their form has not been great either, with the ODI series loss against India at home exposing a few chinks in the armor.

Given their record that sells them short, somewhat, the format and conditions in the UK should suit them just fine and with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the first 10 days, the chance is there to build early momentum.

SCHEDULE

Before the action begins, New Zealand play two official warm-up games that give them the opportunity to fine-tune their playing XI. These matches are different in the sense that the teams are free to play all 15 of their squad to experiment with their lineups and test players for fitness issues. Both games are at 03.00pm and will be telecast on Star Sports and streamed live on Hotstar.

Perennial underdogs in World Cups. Finalists in 2015, the Kiwis will look to end the drought in England where conditions will suit their batsmen and bowlers.Strength: Led by their run-machine captain, the Kiwi squad boasts of quality all-rounders who can carry the match on strong shouldersWeakness: Despite its strength on paper, the team often fails to play to its potential. A misfiring top order turns out to be its biggest liability

Flat tracks and short boundaries are expected to provide mega totals. The Black Caps harness batsmen and all-rounders in the form of Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Colin de Grandhomme, Taylor and Jimmy Neesham who are more than capable of clearing the fence.

Like everyone, they will come hard at the top but are also flexible in their ability to switch tactics if conditions or early wickets dictate. In the field New Zealand will be inventive and scrap to save every run. They are not opposed to grinding their way to victories, and have learnt to hold composure when chasing daunting totals.

Ross Taylor enters his fourth, and almost certainly last, World Cup in the form of his life, raising the prospect he might even outshine Kane Williamson in England and Wales. The good news for New Zealand fans is that the former captain and his most recent successor in the role will be playing on the same team. They will be expected to provide a formidable three-four combination in the batting lineup. Both have been in superb form since the Black Caps reached the final of last World Cup but Taylor has overshadowed his 28-year-old skipper and risen to the top three in the International Cricket Council rankings. The 35-year-old has scored 2,892 ODI runs over those four years, placing him sixth in the list of most prolific batsmen headed by India captain Virat Kohli (4,306).

The talismanic Williamson is the key though. But given he performs more often than not, New Zealand’s fate rests more with Guptill. Guptill’s ODI record in England is seriously impressive – 652 runs at 46.5 with a strike-rate of 97.31, including an unbeaten 189 from 155 balls. His importance at the top cannot be understated. Henry Nicholls or the out-of-sorts Munro, two contrasting batsmen, will join Guptill in opening up. Either way responsibility rests on Guptill, the senior man and one of the best white-ball strikers in the world. Look no further than his unbeaten 237, the highest World Cup score in history, featuring 24 fours and 11 sixes in the quarter-final victory over the West Indies in Wellington, to appreciate the damage he can cause.

Their bowling department also looks fiery, with the inclusion of the experienced deadly duo of Trent Boult and Tim Southee. Boult was on fire during the Test series against Bangladesh on home turf in February this year, having picked up 13 wickets from two matches – Including a five-wicket as well as a four-wicket haul. On the other hand, Southee had a magnificent spell of 6-65 against Bangladesh in the ODI series. That spell came in the third ODI at Dunedin in February.

Whether their bowling attack offers sufficient threats is questionable. Santner is more of a containing spinner than wicket-taker. Seamers Southee, Boult and Henry are unlikely to strike fear in premier batsman either. As has been evident from matches over the past couple of years, teams with wicket-taking options in the middle overs have been more successful. The major wicket-takers in the middle overs are the wrist spinners; Kuldeep and Chahal for India, Zampa for Australia and Adil Rashid for England. New Zealand, therefore, will be heavily reliant on their wrist spinner to play a similar role.

In favourable conditions, which provide more than a hint of swing, New Zealand can go toe-to-toe with the best. Reach the semis, and from there anything is possible.

NEW ZEALAND AT THE WORLD CUP

New Zealand can be hailed as the underachievers of the ICC World Cup as they looked favourites to win the World Cup in 1992 and 2015. However, some poor performances in the knockout matches led to their defeats in the most important matches.

They have won 48 out of their 79 matches at the World Cup and lost 30 out of them. The Kiwis have played the second most number of World Cup matches (second only to Australia) and have appeared at all the 11 World Cups played from 1975 to 2015.

The Black Caps will play their 12th World Cup when they take the field in England and the Kiwis would love to win their first ever World Cup in the United Kingdom. Brendon McCullum and Martin Crowe have been the best performers for New Zealand at the World Cup.

Highest total: 6-393 v West Indies, Wellington 2015Lowest total: 112 v Australia, Port Elizabeth 2003Most runs: In four tournaments Stephen Fleming scored 1075 runs at 35.83 to be New Zealand’s all-time leading run-scorer at World CupsMost wickets: Right-arm seamer Jacob Oram and left-arm orthodox spinner Daniel Vettori hold the record with 36 wickets. Oram’s average of 21.33, compared to Vettori’s 32.44, gives him the edge. Those two players could be surpassed this tournament by Tim Southee (33 wickets) and Trent Boult (22)Most dismissals: Hard-hitting batsman Brendon McCullum has the most World Cup dismissals for the Black Caps with 34, 3 of which 2 (30 catches, two stumpings) wearing the keeping gloves

Anything less than the semi-final status quo will be considered a disappointment for the Kiwis. On their day they are capable of shocking anyone but against the top echelon, India and the home favourites England, they need to extract every ounce of talent and even then bank some luck.

Can New Zealand go one better than 2015 this time around? The Black Caps were the feel-good story of that World Cup they hosted with Australia, and Brendon McCullum’s charges played blazing, entertaining cricket all the way to the final at the MCG. En route to the final, the Black Caps edged out Australia in a low-scoring thriller in Auckland before holding their nerve in an epic semi-final at the same venue against the Proteas. In the final – New Zealand’s first – Australia proved too strong but as the saying goes, ‘you’ve got to lose one to win one’, so that mandatory loss is now out of the way. With Kane Williamson at the helm of a team with a potent attack and power in the batting ranks, will 2019 be the year the Black Caps take out their maiden World Cup title?

New Zealand will kick off their campaign against Sri Lanka on 01st June at Cardiff.

]]>[Cricket] CWC 2019 – Pakistan At The World Cuphttp://blog.super8.in/cricket-cwc-2019-pakistan-at-the-world-cup/
Fri, 24 May 2019 16:55:05 +0000http://blog.super8.in/?p=3256If South Africa are ‘chokers’, Pakistan have always been the ‘unpredictables’ in big multi-team tournaments. Point in note is their only World Cup win till date that saw them needing rain against England to... more]]>If South Africa are ‘chokers’, Pakistan have always been the ‘unpredictables’ in big multi-team tournaments. Point in note is their only World Cup win till date that saw them needing rain against England to grant them the point necessary for qualification. This, after beginning the tournament disastrously and being forced to pull themselves back from the brink and embark upon that run that ended with Imran Khan holding aloft the trophy. Even today, they might have lost the ODI series against England despite some promising performances, but they still remain an unpredictable force in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

The big question though is can Pakistan repeat their 2017 Champions Trophy heroics? Two years ago, few experts gave them a chance in the Champions Trophy in England up against the likes of the formidable hosts and a powerful Indian side captained by Virat Kohli. But after qualifying for the semi-finals with a tense win over Sri Lanka, Pakistan thumped both England (by eight wickets) and then India (by 180 runs) to shock the world and win the title. This 2019 Pakistan team is coming with a horrible recent record – they’ve lost their last 10 completed one-dayers – but have 10 players from the 2017 Champions League squad and thus the firepower and experience to spring another surprise.

Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed seems to think so. He feels the team can defeat any opponent in the coming World Cup due to the fast bowlers’ friendly pitches in England. Speaking in a joint press conference along with other captains in the tournament, the captain said that the World Cup is not an easy tournament but his team’s record is very strong in the country.

“We won the 1992 World Cup, Champions Trophy here. We have come here to prove ourselves in another challenge,” he said. “We have learnt a lot in the recent England series.”

Sarfaraz said that the team is passionate to win the tournament and has the potential to deliver in all batting, bowling and fielding department. “We have addressed our shortcomings,” he said.

SCHEDULE

Before the action begins, Pakistan play two official warm-up games that give them the opportunity to fine-tune their playing XI. These matches are different in the sense that the teams are free to play all 15 of their squad to experiment with their lineups and test players for fitness issues. Both games are at 03.00pm and will be telecast on Star Sports and streamed live on Hotstar.

If anything defines Pakistan cricket, it’s unpredictability. The 1992 champions are capable of beating any team on their day, as the 2017 Champions Trophy triumph against India proves.Strength: A solid middle order that bats around the exciting talent Fakhar Zaman. A good bowling attack with quality pacersWeakness: Lack of power-hitters and batsmen who can play through an innings. History of self-destruction

Since their Champions Trophy triumph however, things have not gone to plan for Pakistan. They may have whitewashed Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, but in the last two years have played four bilateral series against higher ranking sides and lost all four, by an aggregate score of 17-2. They arrive at this tournament on a run of ten successive ODI defeats.

The batting looks in good nick. If there is a silver lining to be taken from the 4-0 thumping at the hands of England, it’s that Pakistan scored 340 or more in three of their four completed innings, the same number as they’d managed in the previous 84 ODIs. The top order, comprising of Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam, is among the best in the tournament, and all three scored hundreds in that series.

While the experienced trio of Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz and Asif Ali were named replacements for Junaid Khan, Faheem Ashraf and Abid Ali after they endured a disappointing run in the ODIs against England, Pakistan have some promising young talent in their squad. Teenager Shaheen Afridi finished the recently-concluded ODI series with six wickets, which included a spell of 4/82 in the final match. Another young talent is that of the 20-year-old Shadab Khan – someone who has not enjoyed good spells but is known for making a mark in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, where he took four wickets in as many games.

Don’t be surprised if Fakhar Zaman is near the top of the run-scorer’s list by the tournament end. The left-handed opener is ranked No.11 in the official ICC ODI batting rankings and owns an ODI double-century – 210* against Zimbabwe last year. He posted a century in the Champions Trophy final in 2017 and scored 138 against England at Southampton earlier this month. A quality player against seam, swing and spin, Zaman could be the surprise package this tournament.

PAKISTAN AT THE WORLD CUP

Pakistan won the World Cup in 1992 under the captaincy of Imran Khan and have also been runners up at the 1999 World Cup where they lost to Australia in the Final. They have been Semi Finalists 4 times (1979, 1983, 1987 & 2011) and have also reached the Quarter Finals twice (1996 & 2015). Pakistan’s historical win-loss record at the cricket world cup is 40-29, with 2 no results.

• Pakistan’s leading run-scorer at World Cups is Javed Miandad. In 30 innings, Miandad scored 1083 runs at an average of 43.32, with one century and eight fifties. Next on the list is Saeed Anwar with 915 runs from 21 innings at an average of 53.82, followed by Inzamam-ul-Haq at third with 717 at 23.90
• Miandad’s eight fifties are a record for Pakistan at the tournament. Majid Khan scored five half-centuries
• Anwar and Rameez Raja hold the record for most centuries by a Pakistan batsman at World Cups – three
• Anwar’s average of 82.25 in 1996 is the highest for a Pakistan batsman at a single World Cup
• Not surprisingly, Shahid Afridi has hit the most sixes for Pakistan at the World Cup – 12. After him, Wasim Akram‘s 11 are the next best
• The Pakistan record for most runs in a single World Cup belongs to Miandad who in 1992 scored 437 runs at 62.60 from nine innings
• Imran Nazir holds the record for Pakistan’s highest score in a World Cup – 160 versus Zimbabwe in 2007
• Miandad played the most World Cups for Pakistan – six. He was part of the squads from 1975 to 1996, when he retired
• In the bowling charts, Wasim has taken the most wickets for Pakistan at World Cups. In 38 matches, he took 55 wickets at an average of 23.83, strike-rate of 35.4 and economy of 4.04
• Wasim is followed by Imran Khan (34) and Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar with 30 wickets in a single tournament
• Afridi is the holder of the best innings bowling by a Pakistan player at any World Cup. In 2011, he claimed 5/16
• The most deliveries bowled by a Pakistan bowler in a single World Cup is 544 by Wasim in 1999. In 1992, Wasim bowled 538
• Pakistan’s most successful World Cup wicketkeeper is Moin Khan, who in 20 matches held 30 dismissals (23 catches, 7 stumpings)
• For non-wicketkeepers, Inzamam’s 16 catches in 35 games is the most by a Pakistan fielder
• The highest partnership by a Pakistan pair at the World Cup is 184 between Anwar and Wajahatullah Wasti against New Zealand in the 1999 semi-final at Old Trafford
• Pakistan’s overall World Cup record is 40 wins, 29 losses, and two no-results from a total of 70 games
• As a side, Pakistan’s biggest World Cup win came over Kenya in 2011 when they beat them by 205 runs

The Men in Green have played a lot of cricket in England in recent times and it will help them during the World Cup. It goes without saying that if you’re scoring as many runs as they have scored so far and not winning any matches, something’s up. Pakistan’s bowlers did not exactly sparkle against England – which is why they have gambled on Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz, neither of whom bowled a ball in that series, as part of three changes to their provisional 15-man squad. The bowling mediocrity, however, was nothing compared to the abomination in the field, where there were a plethora of embarrassing misfields that turned singles into boundaries and simple dropped catches galore.

Pakistan will kick off their campaign against Windies on May 31st and take on England on June 3rd. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s men will take on arch-rivals India on June 16th.

]]>[Cricket] CWC 2019 – South Africa At The World Cuphttp://blog.super8.in/cricket-cwc-2019-south-africa-at-the-world-cup/
Fri, 24 May 2019 08:08:17 +0000http://blog.super8.in/?p=3228They may be perennial chokers, but South Africa have made the knockouts in every edition barring 2003 since their maiden World Cup appearance in the 1992 edition. With a mixed bag of experience and... more]]>They may be perennial chokers, but South Africa have made the knockouts in every edition barring 2003 since their maiden World Cup appearance in the 1992 edition. With a mixed bag of experience and first-timers, South Africa, a team who have traditionally started the ICC World Cups as one of the strongest and favourites find themselves on the back foot this year primarily because of injuries that have plagued their key strike bowlers and a batting lineup that looks fragile.

While the likes of Aiden Markram and Lungi Ngidi will be playing their first 50-over World Cup, the experienced duo of captain Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla will be participating in their third edition of cricket’s premier tournament. They have reached the semifinals thrice, and every time they have reached the last four stage, it has been a matter of coming ‘so close and yet so far’. The tag of underachievers has not separated from South Africa since their heartbreaking loss to Australia in the semifinals of the Cricket World Cup 1999 and they are yet to reach the summit clash of the World Cup. Read all about it here!

The Proteas however head into the World Cup quietly confident of being a competitive force at the tournament. When chief selector Linda Zondi unveiled the squad there was a feeling among team management that a good balance had been struck in the 15-man group. Anrich Nortje was forced to withdraw from the squad with injury and was replaced by Chris Morris, ensuring the Proteas head into the tournament with three seam-bowling allrounders to go with three specialist quicks. South Africa coach Ottis Gibson too had moved to dispel fears that Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn will not be fit for the start of the Proteas’ World Cup campaign.

With a painful history at the showpiece event, time after time, after a strong start, falling in the knockout stages and the the tag of ‘chokers’ that is starting to suddenly look all too real, the players themselves are acknowledging they aren’t the title contenders they once were. In 2015, they made it to the last-four only to be beaten by co-hosts New Zealand in a dramatic semi-final. A weight of history heavy on their shoulders, can the Proteas defy the odds and go all the way to a maiden trophy?

SCHEDULE

Before the action begins, South Africa play two official warm-up games that give them the opportunity to fine-tune their playing XI. These matches are different in the sense that the teams are free to play all 15 of their squad to experiment with their lineups and test players for fitness issues. Both games are at 03.00pm and will be telecast on Star Sports and streamed live on Hotstar.

The Proteas carry the unflattering tag of ‘chokers’ for losing matches from winning positions, sometimes for no fault of theirs. This mercurial side will look to set the record straight.Strength: One of the best bowling attacks in the world. If the pace of Dale Steyn or Kagiso Rabada doesn’t get you, look out for the spin of the irrepressible Imran TahirWeakness: Absence of batting lynchpin AB de Villiers is a huge setback. The unreliable batting could be their weakest link

They’re ambitions would largely hinge on their potent attack, led by young Kagiso Rabada and veteran Imran Tahir, as South Africa make their eighth attempt to achieve sport’s biggest prize. Considering the English conditions, South Africa’s bowling attack has all bases covered with top quality pacers and spinners ready to be unleashed. Veteran speedster Steyn, young pacer Kagiso Rabada and leg-spinner Tahir hold the key to their ambitions. If fit, Steyn could be a potent weapon. Rabada and Tahir, among the top five ODI bowlers in the world, have recently put up dominating performances for their respective Indian T20 League franchises and in-form Rabada has the speed, variation, and can take the new ball as well as can bowl at the close with equal measure.

A quality wrist-spinner is a must for any team fancying its chances at the World Cup and in Tahir, who has 162 wickets at an average of 24 in 98 ODIs, South Africa have that weapon. Needing just four wickets to break the 200-barrier at the World Cup, Steyn, 35, would hope to stay injury free to provide crucial breakthroughs to the team, besides offering guidance to the likes of Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. A fine attack can give the Proteas an option to go for a batting all-rounder at No. 7 – Andile Phehlukwayo, who has been performing well since 2015 averaging 31.3 with the bat and 29.8 with the ball.

The Proteas would largely depend on their attack in the absence of the proven match winner AB de Villiers, who is now retired. They do not boast big match-winners like some of the other teams but there is no dearth of experience with captain Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, J P Duminy forming the core of their batting.

Du Plessis, Amla, Duminy, Tahir and Steyn will be playing their third World Cup, while de Kock and David Miller are making their second appearance at the mega event.

A shrewd skipper, du Plessis, who has scored 2777 runs at 60.4 since the last World Cup, has managed to extract maximum output from his team by winning 11 of their last 13 series. But past records have little relevance in quadrennial events like the World Cup.

Despite a poor run of form in recent times, the 36-year-old Amla was selected ahead of opening batsman Reeza Hendricks, who played 18 consecutive ODIs before being dropped against Sri Lanka in March. His record of 27 ODI tons is hard to ignore but over the past year, Amla’s form has been a cause of concern. South Africa can only hope that the veteran finds his touch when it matters the most. Amla and de Kock has been South Africa’s most successful opening pair since the last World Cup, with 2442 runs and four century stands at 51.96 in 49 matches.

Young Aiden Markram has been included on the basis of strong domestic form but he averages just 29 in 19 One-day Internationals. David Miller has five ODI centuries but enters the World Cup in good touch. The decision to do away with the racial quotas at the World Cup is also expected to benefit the South Africans.

Cricket South Africa chief executive Thabang Moroe recently said that racial quotas, where the board has an official target of black players making up 55 per cent of teams, would not apply in the World Cup.

South Africa’s campaign at the 2015 World Cup ended in controversy over quotas when the team management was forced to pick Vernon Philander for the semi-final against New Zealand though it wanted to retain the winning combination. Shedding the dark mist that surrounds South African cricket in knockout events will be their goal in the English summer.

SOUTH AFRICA AT THE WORLD CUPTheir best finish at the World Cup is their semifinal appearances at the 1992, 1999, 2007 and 2015 World Cups.

The Proteas have lost all of their four semi-finals as England defeated them in 1992, Australia eliminated them in 1999 and 2007 while New Zealand conquered their challenge in the 2015 World Cup.

The rainbow nation have only lost 18 out of their 55 matches and played two ties whilst winning 35 matches. They have played the most number of tied World Cup matches as they tied a game against Australia in 1999 and versus Sri Lanka in the 2003 World Cup.

South Africa have had a decent run in the lead-up to the marquee event, defeating Pakistan and Sri Lanka in back-to-back series at home and must not weigh themselves down by the chokers tag, instead accept it and go in as underdogs. This sentiment was expressed recently by Proteas’ former Performance Director Paddy Upton.

“I think the ‘chokers’ label for South Africa is a little bit too exaggerated and it’s also unfair. But I do realise that South Africa have struggled and could have performed better. They will, in time, win one of these big trophies.

Shedding the dark mist that surrounds South African cricket in knockout events will be their goal this English summer.

]]>[Cricket] CWC 2019 – West Indies At The World Cuphttp://blog.super8.in/cricket-cwc-2019-west-indies-at-the-world-cup/
Thu, 23 May 2019 16:52:04 +0000http://blog.super8.in/?p=3215Though the dark horse of the ICC World Cup 2019, the big question is whether the Windies can mirror their T20 efforts in the 50-over format. Bangladesh are placed above them and only Sri Lanka and... more]]>Though the dark horse of the ICC World Cup 2019, the big question is whether the Windies can mirror their T20 efforts in the 50-over format. Bangladesh are placed above them and only Sri Lanka and new-entrants Afghanistan are behind the superpower of the 1970s and 80s. And it had all started here in England. The first three World Cups, starting 1975, were held here and the West Indies made all three finals, establishing themselves as undisputed kings of cricket.Sadly, the West Indies sides of the past two decades have failed to match the dominant teams of the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s in both Test and one-day cricket. But where the Caribbean outfit has failed in the longer forms, they have been a powerhouse in the 20-over game, winning two of the last three T20 World Cups. Jason Holder’s side has the talent in their ranks to go deep in the tournament, but whether they can transfer their winning ways from T20 to 50-over cricket remains to be seen.

Even though the two-time champions had to qualify for the tournament this year and scraped through as the last team after Afghanistan, the Windies could be the team to look out for this time. Their recent performance as a team against England at home and the individual brilliance in the Indian T20 League have changed the way the cricketing world is looking at them now.

West Indies’ preparations suffered a slight setback when they went down to Bangladesh in the Tri-Series final in Ireland, but they can take heart from the fact that they didn’t have a full squad at their disposal. Their official training camp began from May 19th and the four-day camp, involving the entire 15-man squad for the marquee tournament that included an additional unofficial warm-up fixture against Australia played on May 22nd at the Ageas Bowl which Australia won by seven-wickets.

SCHEDULE

Before the action begins, West Indies play two official warm-up games that give them the opportunity to fine-tune their playing XI. These matches are different in the sense that the teams are free to play all 15 of their squad to experiment with their lineups and test players for fitness issues. Both games are at 03.00pm and will be telecast on Star Sports and streamed live on Hotstar.

Winners of the first two World Cups, West Indies are rediscovering their mojo after a long slump. Led by the charismatic Jason Holder, who has brought self-belief back to the teamStrength: Powerful and fearless batsmen like Andre Russel, and lethal fast bowlers, the Windies have all the weapons to win the CupWeakness: The biggest problem is temperament. The team crumbles at the very sight of pressure

With the increasing similarity in the way teams approach the two formats of the white-ball game, there seems no reason why West Indies cannot again be a force in 50-over cricket as well. Yet they failed to qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy ODI tournament in England and only just made it to this World Cup. It is all a far cry from the West Indies’ glory days, when a powerful squad under the captaincy of Clive Lloyd won the first two men’s World Cups, in 1975 and 1979, and lost in the 1983 final to India.

Much would depend on the kind of start they get from Gayle. The Jamaican has been smart of late, putting a price on his wicket. He will be crucial to the West Indies’ plans. If he fails, Russell, Darren Bravo and Hetmyer have to ensure that the middle-order makes up for it. Nothing could be better if he clicks. The longer he stays at the crease, the better it is for them.

Jason Holder and Kemar Roach hold the key while challenging the best batsmen. Russell’s medium pace will also be handy if there are overcast conditions. Left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell is yet to leave an impressionable mark in international cricket.

Yet, they would largely bank on their pacers since Ashley Nurse is the only experienced spinner in their ranks. Left-arm spinner Fabian Allen has played only seven matches, taking just one wicket so far. Mystery spinner Sunil Narine and allrounder Kieron Pollard were overlooked, but Pollard and Dwayne Bravo – who hasn’t played an ODI since 2014 – have been added to a 10-man reserve players list for the tournament.

Don’t be surprised if Chris Gayle puts on one last show. The 39-year-old has declared he will retire from one-day internationals after the World Cup and as is his way, he’ll be looking to go out with a bang. The veteran left-hander owns 25 ODI hundreds and is a good chance to add to that tally on the small grounds in the UK, where he averages 39 in 30 matches.

WINDIES AT THE WORLD CUP
West Indies have won the World Cup twice – in 1975 and 1979. In 1983, they ended as the runners-up after losing to India. They made an exit from the group stage on four occasions – in 1987, 1992, 1999 and 2003. Windies reached the quarters stage twice – in 2011 and 2015. They reached the Super Eight in 2007 and semis in 1996.

– The highest ever innings score from the West Indies in a World Cup came in 2015 when they scored 372/2 against Zimbabwe at Canberra. Their lowest total of 93 came against Kenya in Pune during the 1996 edition
– Chris Gayle (215 vs Zimbabwe, 2015) has the highest individual score by a Windies batsman. He hit 16 sixes and 10 fours in this splendid knock. Gayle also has the second highest individual score in the World Cup
– Winston Davis (7/51 vs Australia, 1983) has the best bowling figures notched by a Windies cricketer. Kemar Roach (6/27 vs Netherlands, 2011) comes second
– Brian Lara is the highest run-scorer for West Indies in the World Cup (1,225). He smashed two hundreds and seven fifties in 34 matches. Lara also holds the record for the most number of catches for West Indies (16)
– Sir Vivian Richards is the only other Windies player to score 1,000-plus runs (1,013). He also has the most number of hundreds for West Indies in the World Cup (3)
– With 27 scalps, Courtney Walsh holds the record for the most number of wickets in the World Cup for Windies. Andy Roberts took an impressive 26 scalps
– With 26 dismissals, Denesh Ramdin holds the record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the side
– Gayle and Marlon Samuels hold the record for the highest partnership (372 vs Zimbabwe, 2015)
– Clive Lloyd has the most appearances as skipper (17)

The advent of some fearsome power-hitters, led by a burly Andre Russell, has suddenly made the once intimidating but now struggling West Indies emerge as a serious threat to the Cricket World Cup’s top contenders.

‘Universe boss’ Chris Gayle was not at his brutal best at the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) but Russell’s butchering of the bowlers has forced the teams to take note of what could await them at the biggest International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament.

Proven performers such as Carlos Brathwaite and Darren Bravo are already there and add to that the rise of young Shimron Hetmeyer, who boasts 100-plus strike-rate in both ODIs and T20s, and opener Shai Hope, the Caribbean side definitely looks potent enough to spring a surprise. Since every team has to play all competitors, there is no escape.

The bickering between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the players have had a devastating impact on West Indies’ progress as an international team in both Tests and ODIs in the last few years. The result was that players such as Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo were not in thick of the action when the side was locked in battles across the globe. The side lost confidence, and most importantly, its identity as a force to reckon with.

But now that Gayle and Co are there in their line-up, and Bravo and Pollard too named as reserves, this World Cup could revive West Indies’ fortunes.

The small grounds in England coupled with flat pitches during the English summer could serve as the ideal platform for the West Indies batsmen to unleash their power game.

It’s time that the tall and strong West Indies batsmen, possessing enviable power, cash in on the opportunity and pull the trigger for their resurrection. The kind of talent they have does not justify their low eighth rank in the ICC table.

]]>[Cricket] CWC 2019 – Australia At The World Cuphttp://blog.super8.in/cricket-cwc-2019-australia-at-the-world-cup/
Thu, 23 May 2019 07:09:15 +0000http://blog.super8.in/?p=3198The most successful ODI side in history, Australia have lifted the Cricket World Cup trophy a record five times, including three consecutive wins between 1999 and 2007. Battered and bruised by unwanted... more]]>The most successful ODI side in history, Australia have lifted the Cricket World Cup trophy a record five times, including three consecutive wins between 1999 and 2007. Battered and bruised by unwanted controversy the past year, no one would have given them a chance few months ago when the name synonymous with Cricket World Cup success were in rebuild mode after the ball-tampering saga prompted radical changes in their cricketing culture. The infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa led to a one year ban of two key players, David Warner and Steven Smith which derailed much of their title defence plans.

Though things have gone downhill for Australia after their 2015 World Cup triumph, the new-look squad has peaked at just the right time with some good results under their belts coming into the tournament including consecutive ODI series victories over India and Pakistan. With the return of David Warner (692 runs) and Steve Smith (319 runs) who have had fantastic seasons at the recently concluded Indian T20 League and the revelation of Usman Khawaja (5 games, 383 runs, 2 centuries, 2 fifties, average 76), who 3 months ago had no ODI centuries to his name then peaked as Australia beat India 3-2 in the ODI series in the subcontinent, things are looking ominous for the other early favourites this year.

Prior to the India series sweep the Aussies suffered a 5-0 whitewash in ODIs against England apart from other forgettable series results that reflected 16 defeats in 18 concluded matches with the multi-nation event just a few months away. This took them to new lows in the ICC ODI rankings – 6th, their lowest in 34 years. But, World Cups and Australia is a different love affair for they cannot be ruled out in any manner in major ICC Tournaments – especially World Cups.

They have won it in every continent wherever Cricket is played. They have reached the finals in the World Cup for a record seven times, winning five and losing twice – to West Indies in 1975 and to Sri Lanka in 1996. They won a hattrick of World Cups from 1999-2007 and became only the second team to successfully defend their title after the Windies.

The five-time winners have shown exemplary resilience in navigating the tempestuous phase that nearly broke their back and spirit, and the recent away series victories against India and Pakistan are proof of their never-say-die attitude. The much-awaited return of David Warner and Steve Smith from their one-year bans has bolstered the team and boosted the morale of those, who will wear the yellow jersey in the United Kingdom.

SCHEDULE

Before the action begins, Australia play two official warm-up games that give them the opportunity to fine-tune their playing XI. These matches are different in the sense that the teams are free to play all 15 of their squad to experiment with their lineups and test players for fitness issues. Both games are at 03.00pm and will be telecast on Star Sports and streamed live on Hotstar.

Not exactly the world-beaters they once were, the Kangaroos still pack enough punch to lift the cup for the sixth time. No other team has won the title more than twice.Strength: The return of Steve Smith and David Warner gives the team strength and stability in battingWeakness: Injury-prone bowlers are a big worry. No backup for specialist wicket-keeper Alex Carrey

When Langer was appointed after Darren Lehmann stepped down after the ball-tampering affair, a key part of his brief was to torpedo the notorious win-at-all costs culture under then skipper Smith and his abrasive deputy Warner. A buzzword of his now is “respect” and he took the team to the World War I battlefields of Gallipoli on the way to England to learn about “humility and perspective”.

Their mettle will be put to the test at the World Cup and the following Ashes series, with a hostile reception expected from their arch-rival English fans, with Smith and Warner in the firing line.

“We’re ready for it,” Langer insisted. “If we’re under siege the second we get off the plane, we’re ready for it.”

Since returning to the Australian squad in recent weeks, Smith, 29, and 32-year-old Warner have kept a low profile, with all-rounder Glenn Maxwell saying they were “a little bit more reserved” in the dressing room, and were hungry to show what they could do on the pitch. They have already shown a taste of what to expect. Former coach Lehmann tipped the pair to make a big impact.

“He (Smith) will be exceptional at the World Cup,” Lehmann told Macquarie Sports Radio. “People are worried about the break they have had with 12 months out, but you see them in the Indian T20 League performing and making runs.

“David Warner is an excitement machine, at the top of the order he can set it alight. If he has a really good tournament… they’ll be hard to stop.”

The starting XI is firming up but the batting order remains in flux, with Langer yet to decide who will open, with Finch, Warner and Usman Khawaja all in the running. Smith is expected to come in at three or four with Shaun Marsh and Maxwell making up the top order followed by all-rounder Marcus Stoinis. The pace attack will almost certainly feature Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jason Behrendorff, but questions remain as to whether Nathan Lyon or Adam Zampa will claim the spinner’s spot.

Stripped of their roles as captain and vice-captain respectively and banned for 12 months for their involvement in the ball-tampering scandal during the Test series against South Africa in March last year, both Smith and Warner will be using the sport’s biggest platform to make amends for their indiscretion in Cape Town. It remains to be seen if Warner is given his usual opening slot or made to bat at number three. Only once in 104 ODI innings has Warner not gone in as an opener.

Given the depth of talent and competition for spots, there were a number of tough calls the selectors had to make to settle on the 15-man squad. The squad does not include in-form batsman Peter Handscomb and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, while the likes of D’Arcy Short, Ashton Turner and Matthew Wade also missed out, clearly showing the depth in the setup. A depth that augurs well for them in the World Cup.

The only recent change has been fast bowler Jhye Richardson who was ruled out after failing to recover from a dislocated shoulder, with namesake Kane Richardson replacing him. He picked up the injury during Australia’s series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in March, but was included in the squad for the World Cup.

STRENGTHS
The Australians are the most consistent performers in the world cup – never losing a semi-final and making the finals on seven occasions out of 11 world cups which shows how well they soak the pressure in crunch situations. It was famously said that you can’t be assured of a win against Australia until the last ball of the match is bowled.

This is relevant in their semifinal wins in 1996 world cup when they choked the West Indies team to win narrowly by five runs or a dramatic tie against South Africa in the 1999 World Cup semifinal. The Aussies know how to win big games and with their ability to raise their game in big tournaments, Australia definitely can defend their title.

With the likes of Aaron Finch, Travis Head at the top and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell towards the end, the Australian batting looks strong and the return of Warner and Smith boosts their chances even more.

Lethal Bowling Attack – Australia has always been gifted with outstanding bowlers throughout their cricketing history. They had a spin wizard like Shane Warne and fast bowlers like Glenn Mcgrath.

Even now, their fast bowling is equally equipped with the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Billy Stanlake and Josh Hazlewood who can blow the opposition batsman with their quality pace. And with the conditions assisting their style of bowling, they might prove to be lethal for the opposition.

While their spin department is not too strong, but any of Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar or Nathan Lyon might step up on the day when it is required the most.

AUSTRALIA AT THE WORLD CUP
Though they have won the World Cup a record five times, they are also the only team considered as tournament favorites for every world cup, right from 1975 to present. The team has played total 85 world cup matches, the highest of any team. Its overall win-loss record gives it the highest win percentage among all teams playing the world cup, with one tied match and two being abandoned due to rain.

– Australia’s leading run-getter in the world cups is Ricky Ponting with 1743 runs in 46 matches at 45.86 with five centuries and six fifties. He’s followed by Adam Gilchrist (1085) at 36.16 and Mark Waugh (1004) at 52.84 at second and third spot respectively in the list
– Ponting’s five centuries is also a tournament record for Australia followed by Mark Waugh (four) and Matthew Hayden (three). 2015 World Cup winning captain Michael Clarke and Gilchrist have struck eight fifties each – the joint most for Australia
– Hayden’s tally of 659 runs at the 2007 World Cup is most by an Australian batsman in a single edition. He struck three centuries and a fifty averaging 73.22
– Andrew Symonds who averages an astonishing 103 from 13 innings has the best average among the Aussies. Clarke follows with at second with 63.42 at second followed by Steve Smith (56.87)
– Ponting, the three-time world cup winner, has hit the most no. of sixes with 31 followed by Hayden (23) and Gilchrist (19). He also jointly holds the record for most sixes in an innings alongside Gilchrist with eight which he smashed against India in the 2003 World Cup final
– David Warner blasted 178 off 133 against Afghanistan in the 2015 edition which is the highest by an Australian at the event. Hayden with 158 vs West Indies in 2007 and Gilchrist with 149 vs Sri Lanka in 2007 final complete the top-three
– Glenn McGrath leads the wicket charts with 71 scalps in 39 matches spread across four editions. His tally is also the all-time best in world cup history. He averages 18.19 and boasts of an economy of 3.96. Next on the list is Brett Lee with 35 wickets in 17 matches followed by Brad Hogg who took 34 wickets in 21 matches
– McGrath also holds the record for most wickets in an edition – 26 wickets at 13.73 at the ICC World Cup 2007. Shaun Tait with 23 wickets (WC 2007) and Lee with 22 wickets (WC 2003) occupy the second and third spot respectively
– With 7/15 vs Namibia in February 2003, McGrath also has the all-time bowling figures in world cup history. Andy Bichel emulated his tally in the same edition with seven wickets against England but McGrath edges ahead having given five less runs
– Nathan Bracken has the best bowling average of 16.12 among the bowlers with 10 matches being the minimum cut-off. Lee (17.97) and McGrath (18.19) are at the second and third position respectively
– With a minimum cut-off of 10 matches, Lee has the best strike-rate among the bowlers with 23.5 in 17 matches followed by Shaun Tait (24) and Bracken (26.8)
– Gary Gilmour and McGrath each have two five-wicket hauls – the joint most among the Australians. Mitchell Marsh, Alan Hurst, Ken MacLeay, Andy Bichel, Starc, Dennis Lillee, Damien Fleming, Brett Lee and Craig McDermott are the others to have taken the five-wicket haul
– Gilchrist, with 52 dismissals (45 catches, 7 stumpings) leads the wicketkeeping charts followed by Brad Haddin’s 29 (all catches) and Ian Healy’s 21 (18 catches, three stumpings)
– For a non-keeper, Ponting has also taken the most catches – 28 – which is also the most by any player in the history of the showpiece event
– Warner and Smith combined to add 260 for the second wicket against Afghanistan in Perth in March 2015 which is the highest ever partnership for any wicket by an Australian pair at the quadrennial tourney
– Ponting’s 46 world cup appearances is also the most from his country. He has also led them in 29 matches which is also a world cup record
– Overall, Australia have played 85 matches, winning 61, losing 21, one ending in a tie and two producing no results
– 417/6 is vs Afghanistan is Australia’s and World Cup’s highest team total. Their biggest victory margin (in terms of runs) also is against Afghanistan – 275 runs which is a world cup record

Hosting the tournament for only the second time four years ago along with New Zealand, Australia were not overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy but they still became champions at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

It will not be surprising at all if the current team, captained by Aaron Finch, triumphs at the hallowed Lord’s on July 14th. They certainly have the wherewithal to go all the way and record what could be an unprecedented sixth title.

]]>[Cricket] CWC 2019 – England At The World Cuphttp://blog.super8.in/cricket-cwc-2019-england-at-the-world-cup/
Wed, 22 May 2019 10:04:21 +0000http://blog.super8.in/?p=3176The Cricket World Cup returns to its birthplace with many predicting a batting bonanza and the top-ranked hosts undoubtedly favourites. England have played in all 11 editions of the world cup reaching the finals... more]]>The Cricket World Cup returns to its birthplace with many predicting a batting bonanza and the top-ranked hosts undoubtedly favourites. England have played in all 11 editions of the world cup reaching the finals three times, but they still await their maiden World cup title. Since 1992, England have failed to make it to the semi-finals, but this edition could change all that. They were, however, strongly fancied to win the 2017 50-over Champions Trophy as well, which they hosted, only to lose to eventual winners Pakistan in the semi-finals. That match saw England fail to adjust to a slow Cardiff pitch that was not ideally suited to attacking strokeplay. But England one-day captain Eoin Morgan said his side had learned their lesson.

A limp first-round departure at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was the catalyst for a transformation in England’s white-ball game based on aggressive batting, as exemplified by the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler. England are now even threatening to smash the 500-run barrier for the first time in an ODI innings, having set a new record total of 481 for six against Australia in Nottingham last year. And, their attack now has an extra threat in recently qualified Barbados-born fast bowler Jofra Archer, who was named in England’s squad of 15.

Steely-eyed captain Eoin Morgan, the explosive batting prowess up front of Bairstow, Roy & Buttler, add the versatility of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, combine the stability of Moeen Ali and Joe Root, and viola! This is probably the best ever England outfit in the World Cup.

SCHEDULE

Before the action begins, England play two official warm-up games that give them the opportunity to fine-tune their playing XI. These matches are different in the sense that the teams are free to play all 15 of their squad to experiment with their lineups and test players for fitness issues. Both games are at 03.00pm and will be telecast on Star Sports and streamed live on Hotstar.

The number one ODI side will be looking to bury the heartbreaks of three final defeats to finally bring the Cup to the birthplace of cricket.Strength: One of the best batting sides packed with power-hitters like Jos Butler, Joe Root and Ben Stokes. A very good pace pace attack backed by Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid’s spinWeakness: The weight of expectations can prove to be too heavy a burden and ruin their campaign

England have never won a World Cup in 44 years. Many believe that the 12th edition of the showpiece event of cricket will be the host’s best chance of etching its name on the coveted trophy in nearly half a century of limited overs cricket.

England has been building up on its resources for an assault on the World Cup for the last couple of years under Morgan and coach, Trevor Bayliss. The powerful batting lineup, the aggressive bowling and outstanding fielding are all a part of a well laid out plan. England face defending champions Australia in a warm up match on Saturday. The hosts open their campaign against South Africa in the tournament opener on May 30th at London.

Entering the last four stages in all the five World Cup tournaments between 1975 and 1992, England played three finals – in 1979, 1987 and 1992. The years 1999, 2003 and 2015 saw the team being ousted at the group stages. Its record, since 1996, tells the story of how limited overs cricket was neglected by England in the new millennium, while others paid special attention to the different versions of the game. Out of the 11 World Cup tournaments played till date, Australia has won five, the West Indies and India have won two each, and Pakistan and Sri Lanka have won one each.

The World Cup of 2019 will probably finally be a different story; at least English fans would like to believe so. The England team will bat deep, and it will bat with aplomb. Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Morgan, Jos Buttler and Joe Root are in excellent form. They will be backed by Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and others who are capable of hitting the ball far back into the stands, and regularly.

Bairstow and Buttler are two batsmen who made merry in the Indian T20 League this season. The former, in particular, was severe on the bowlers in the ‘power play’ in the ten matches that he played for Sunrisers Hyderabad and has carried that form into the English season. Buttler, of course, has been batting like a champion ever since the IPL season of 2018. Roy too is as dangerous as they come and can hit the new ball a fair distance. Morgan and Root have the capability of holding the innings together while scoring at a good clip.

It is unfortunate that a batsman of the quality of Alex Hales had to be left out of the England plan for World Cup ‘19, not only because of his failed drug test, but as the team management said, because of his utter disregard for what the England team has worked for over the last couple of years.

English wickets are expected to be flat and dry this summer, was is visible in the ODI series against Pakistan. Therefore, large-hearted pacers like Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood and Stokes will fetch England value-for-money this World Cup. Spinners Moeen Ali and Rashid Khan will provide the much needed variety to the attack on tracks that do not respond to pace, seam and cut.

The England team has taken its fielding standards to new heights in recent years – its support staff has made certain that the team comes off the field having put in more than a hundred percent effort in saving runs, effecting run outs and converting half chances into catches. Man for man, England could be the best fielding side, this World Cup.

Looking at how the team shaped up against Pakistan in the ODI series, England should in all probability win seven out of its nine matches in the round-robin league, unless weather intervenes. The Indians and the Australians could push them to the ropes and the West Indies, if Chris Gayle and Andre Russell are in their element, could give them a fright. England should therefore make it to the final four without much of a sweat. The semifinal, and the final, is where their temperament will be tested.

“Winning is not a sometime thing; it is an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while … you do them right all the time, because winning is a habit,” said former American football coach, Vince Lombardi. He also said, “Like winning, losing is a habit too!” England has made it to the World Cup final thrice — and thrice it has faltered. It is time a highly talented team like England gets into the winning habit.

Forty-four long years have passed and 11 World Cups have come and gone. England’s mantelpiece is still empty; perhaps Eoin Morgan’s boys will get it right this time round.

]]>[Cricket] CWC 2019 – India At The World Cuphttp://blog.super8.in/cricket-cwc-2019-india-at-the-world-cup/
Tue, 21 May 2019 16:19:15 +0000http://blog.super8.in/?p=3154After a gruelling Indian T20 League, the Indian cricket team should go in to the 2019 edition of the World Cup as one of the favourites considering the amount of quality cricket played in the past two months. A... more]]>After a gruelling Indian T20 League, the Indian cricket team should go in to the 2019 edition of the World Cup as one of the favourites considering the amount of quality cricket played in the past two months. A relatively ‘wet-behind-the-ears’ captain at the largest stage, Virat Kohli will have the experienced MS Dhoni by his side but India will have to play the perfect team game.

Leading India for the first time in a World Cup, Virat Kohli pressed home the importance of intensity and focus in a campaign such as this at his pre-departure press conference in Mumbai on 21st May, and confirmed an unchanged 15-man squad from the preliminary troupe that had been picked earlier. That means Kedar Jadhav, whose shoulder injury during the Indian T20 League was a matter of concern, has been passed fit to play.

Kohli has played in two 50-over World Cups before this, his first being during India’s victorious campaign in 2011, and stressed on how this World Cup is going to be different to the others he’s played in. Putting the spotlight on the revised format this year, which will see all the ten teams go against each other in a round-robin format, Kohli termed the upcoming edition as the “most challenging” out of the ones he’s seen.

SCHEDULE

Before the action begins, Team India play two official warm-up games that gives them the opportunity to climatise with the playing conditions in England and also a chance to fine-tune their playing XI. These matches are different in the sense that the teams are free to play all 15 of their squad to experiment with their lineups and test players for fitness issues. Both games are at 03.00pm and will be telecast on Star Sports and streamed live on Hotstar.

While form on a given day will be the biggest factor that will influence a result, certain trends can be inferred depending on past performances and records. Unlike the T20 format where cricket grammar takes a backseat, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 will see the classic players thrive as the longer format demands both application and temperament.India’s strengths and weaknessesVirat Kohli (c) – Led by the mercurial Virat Kohli and supported in the middle by the ageless M.S. Dhoni, one of the best finishers.Strength: A strong top order in batting and a bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah, one of the best ‘death’ bowlers in limited overs cricket. Two wrist spinners add teeth to their bowling.Weakness: Over-reliance on the top three batsmen and an untested number 4.

India’s squad was announced at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Monday (April 15th) with Ambati Rayudu and Rishabh Pant not being included while Dinesh Karthik, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja found places. The team will be captained by Virat Kohli while Rohit Sharma will be his deputy. MS Dhoni is the first-choice wicketkeeper. Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini and Avesh Khan have been selected as the net bowlers helping the Indian cricket team during the World Cup. The four bowlers will travel to the UK with the rest of the team.

Chairman of selectors MSK Prasad said that Karthik will be the back-up wicketkeeper and was preferred over Pant due to his superior skill behind the stumps. Karthik, the oldest Indian player in terms of international debut (three months before Dhoni in September 2004), was also part of the Indian squad during its disastrous 2007 World Cup campaign but missed out on 2011 and the 2015 editions.

Kohli’s pre-Indian T20 League statement that the T20 tournament will have no effect on the selections proved to be prophetic as Pant’s 245 runs in the League fell short of Karthik’s 111 runs.

“It is definitely a case which we have debated at length. In unison, we felt either DK or Pant will only come into the playing eleven if Mahi is injured. So, at that juncture if it is a crucial match, a quarterfinal or a semifinal, keeping also matters,” Prasad told reporters after the announcement of the squad. “That is the only reason why we went ahead with DK otherwise Pant was almost there,” he added. Another notable inclusion in the 15-man squad is Tamil Nadu’s seam bowling all-rounder Vijay Shankar, who is expected to be used as a floater in the batting order, especially at number 4. Shankar, with his “three-dimensional qualities”, took the slot which was speculated to go to Ambati Rayudu before his dip in form in the home series against Australia.

“We have been planning soon after the completion of the Champions Trophy (2017) for this. But let me tell you that in the last month or so, there have been a couple of players who have really cropped up like Vijay Shankar,” he said.

There are no surprises with the pace department with Jasprit Bumrah expected to lead an attack that can include all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami apart from wrist spin duo Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

INDIA AT THE WORLD CUPSince the inaugural Cricket World Cup in 1975, Indian cricket teams have experienced a see-saw ride at the quadrennial ODI championship.

From being overawed in 1975 and 1979 to staging one of global sport’s biggest upsets in 1983 when Kapil Dev‘s team beat two-time world champions West Indies at Lord’s; from losing semi-finals in 1996 and 2015 to crashing out of the first round in 2007; and from heartache in 2003 to exhilaration in 2011, the Indian cricket team has seen it all.

Here’s a recap of how past Indian teams have fared at the World Cup.

Prudential World Cup 1975
India were beaten in two of three matches, managing to defeat only East Africa (composed of players from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) for their first ODI win. It was in this World Cup that Sunil Gavaskar batted 174 balls to score 36 not out.

Prudential World Cup 1979
India floundered for the second World Cup running, losing all three matches which included a surprise loss to minnows Sri Lanka.

Prudential World Cup 1983
Kapil’s India arrived in England in 1983 without expectations. In two World Cups they had beaten only East Africa and lost to Sri Lanka, a team yet to be granted Test status. What unfolded was a magical and memorable journey that culminated in a historic day at Lord’s, one that put India on the map and forever changed the course of the 50-over game.

India, with just 17 wins in their first nine years of playing ODI cricket, were considered fortunate to just be at a World Cup final. What transpired under Kapil’s captaincy made cricket a global sport.

Reliance World Cup 1987
Now defending champions, India won five of seven matches in the 1987 World Cup which they co-hosted. One of them was the semi-final against England, the other to eventual winners Australia by one run.

The highlight of India’s World Cup campaign was the win over New Zealand, in which Gavaskar scored his only ODI century and Chetan Sharma took the first tournament hat-trick.

Benson & Hedges World Cup 1992
A poor World Cup in Australia and New Zealand for Mohammad Azharuddin‘s Indian team, who won just two of eight matches. A humdinger against Australia saw India fall agonisingly close, but giving their fans plenty to cheer about was victory over Pakistan at the SCG.

Wills World Cup 1996
Co-hosts again, Azharuddin’s Indian team lost to Australia and Sri Lanka in the league stage, rallied to make the quarter-finals, beat Pakistan in another Indo-Pak epic, but came undone against Sri Lanka in a crowd-marred semi-final.

ICC World Cup 1999
A shaky start to the World Cup in England meant that India were always playing catch-up. Defeats to South Africa and then Zimbabwe were followed by their first win, over Kenya, in which Sachin Tendulkar hit a memorable hundred after his father’s death.

Then came a run-fest at Taunton, in which Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid re-wrote the record books, and victory over hosts England. But losing to Australia and New Zealand dashed India’s chances of going further.

ICC World Cup 2003
Now captained by Ganguly, the Indian team’s campaign, barring the final, was the stuff of dreams. Having lost to Australia early on, India strung together a memorable run of 10 wins from 12 matches until they ran into Ricky Ponting’s team again.

The fast bowling was overall very efficient and the batsmen lived up to expectations. Their win over Pakistan was one for the ages and extended their dominance over their geographical neighbours to a fourth World Cup. In short, India were too good for everyone bar Australia.

Sachin Tendulkar swept the Man-of-the-Series prize for his 673 runs in 11 matches.

ICC World Cup 2007
India promised much in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, but losing to Bangladesh at Port of Spain in their opening match left them stunned.

Needing to win their next two matches to stay alive, Dravid’s team smashed minnows Bermuda and then lost to Sri Lanka to crash out.

ICC World Cup 2011
India came into the World Cup billed as favourites and duly lived up to those expectations, though their captain MS Dhoni admitted after it was over that the entire team had been twisted into knots of anxiety due to the pressure.

Dhoni’s team beat Bangladesh, tied with England, beat Ireland and Netherlands, lost to South Africa and beat West Indies to enter the knockouts.

In the quarter-finals, India overcame defending champions Australia to set up a tantalising semi-final in Mohali. There, they stifled Pakistan’s challenge to set up an all-Asia final in Mumbai. The grand finale, played out in front of a spanking new Wankhede Stadium with politicians and Bollywood’s glitterati in attendance, saw India beat Sri Lanka to lift the World Cup trophy after a 28-year gap.

ICC World Cup 2015
Dhoni’s team entered the 2015 World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand in the middle or poor form but transformed themselves, thanks largely to the fast bowlers. Seven wins in a row took India into the knock-outs, where they lost to eventual winners Australia in the SCG semi-final.

INDIAN RECORDS AT THE WORLD

• Sachin Tendulkar is India’s all-time leading run-getter of World Cups, amassing 2278 runs in his 45 appearances. He is followed by Sourav Ganguly (1006) and Rahul Dravid (860)
• Tendulkar holds a few other India batting records at the tournament – that of most hundreds (six), sixes (27), fours (241), fifties (15) and most runs in a single edition (673 in 2003)
• Ganguly holds the record for India’s highest score in a World Cup, when he hit 183* against Sri Lanka in 1999
• It was during this match at Taunton that Ganguly and Dravid put on a then-record ODI partnership of 318 for the second wicket, which still stands as India’s best at any World Cup
• Sunil Gavaskar has the highest average of any Indian batsman at a single World Cup. He averaged 113 in 1975, from three matches, courtesy two not outs
• Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath are India’s joint leading wicket-taker at the World Cup, with 44 each. Zaheer’s 44 came from 23 matches, Srinath’s from 34
• Of Zaheer’s 44 wickets, 21 came during the 2011 World Cup which is the most by an Indian bowler in any tournament. Zaheer matched Roger Binny’s record of 18 – taken in 1983 – during India’s run to the final of the 2003 World Cup and in 2011 made the record his own as India won the title
• Ashish Nehra holds the best figures by an Indian at any World Cup – 6/23 versus England at Kingsmead in 2003
• The other Indian bowlers to claim five-wicket hauls at the tournament are Venkatesh Prasad (1999), Robin Singh (1999), Yuvraj Singh (2011) and Kapil Dev (1983)
• India’s most potent bowler at the World Cup is Umesh Yadav, who in 2015 took 18 wickets at a strike-rate of 21.4
• With a minimum cut-off of 10 matches played, the Indian bowler with the best economy rate at the World Cup is Madan Lal (3.66)
• MS Dhoni, who led India in the 2011 and 2015 World Cup, is the country’s most successful wicketkeeper with 32 dismissals. Dhoni has held 27 catches and effected five stumpings at the tournament
• For non-wicketkeepers, Anil Kumble has held the most catches -14
• India’s overall World Cup record is 46 wins, 27 losses, one tie and one no-result from a total of 75 games
• As a side, India’s biggest World Cup win came over Bermuda in 2007 when they beat them by 257 runs

This year’s all-play-all format was used only once in the 44-year World Cup history – in 1992 in Australia-New Zealand. Everyone has welcomed it and teams will have to relentlessly be the best to beat the best and come up trumps.

All the Indian WC-bound players are in touch with the game and remained fighting fit through the Indian T20 League. The 23-day gap between the League final (May 12th) and the first World Cup match, on June 5th, against South Africa, is crucial too. Besides being relentlessly aggressive and resourceful, Kohli’s India may quietly be pursuing that slither of alc­hemy that drives teams onwards in a championship—a collective turn­around, or a stellar performance that ign­ites inspiration. That and a fortuitous touch that transforms Indian teams into an all-winning, well-lubricated juggernaut.

]]>[EPL] 2018 – 2019 Season Reviewhttp://blog.super8.in/epl-2018-2019-season-review/
Mon, 20 May 2019 10:17:27 +0000http://blog.super8.in/?p=3128After one of the closest title races in years, Manchester City won the 2018-19 English Premier League. But that is only half the story. It was another season of agony and ecstasy with plenty of twists and turns. Pep... more]]>After one of the closest title races in years, Manchester City won the 2018-19 English Premier League. But that is only half the story. It was another season of agony and ecstasy with plenty of twists and turns. Pep Guardiola’s team won 4-1 at Brighton to finish with 98 points – the second-highest total in Premier League history – as Liverpool beat Wolves 2-0 at Anfield to finish a single, agonising, point adrift. That points tally put them second in the all-time total, trailing behind… well… themselves. For the first time since May 2014, the Premier League title was decided on the final day of the season. Much like five years ago, City held the advantage over Liverpool and knew that if they managed to beat Brighton, they would be the first team to defend their title in a decade.

City are the only team to finish in the top four every season since the end of the 2010/11 campaign having last failed to crack the Champions League places before winning the title for the first time. In their last bid at back-to-back titles City failed finishing eight points behind Chelsea in the 2014/15 season.

Vincent Kompany said the title win was the “hardest” he had experienced after Pep Guardiola’s men held off Liverpool on a dramatic final day. A 14th straight league win ensured Guardiola’s men pipped Liverpool by a solitary point as the Reds’ long wait to win the league continued despite a 2-0 victory over Wolves at Anfield that saw them post the third highest points tally in Premier League history.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp cut a forlorn figure after his side fell short of their maiden Premier League title finishing with an impressive 97 points, after losing just once the entire campaign – having clocked 29 years since their last league triumph earlier in the week. This was despite holding their end of the bargain by winning at home, while their title rivals had an early scare away at Brighton, falling behind before hitting back emphatically to win 4-1. Speaking after the match, the German said his side had tried all they could to push Man City, and didn’t believe they could have done more.

FINAL POINTS TABLE

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE LAST DAY OF THE SEASONAll the stats from the final round of 2018/19 Premier League matches

Brighton & Hove Albion 1-4 Manchester City
Manchester City have won 32 Premier League matches this season, equalling their own record from 2017/18 for most victories in a single campaign in the competitionBurnley 1-3 Arsenal
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (31) is only the second Premier League player to score 30+ goals in all competitions this season, after Sergio AgueroCrystal Palace 5-3 AFC Bournemouth
Crystal Palace have scored five goals in a Premier League match for only the third time ever, last doing so with a 5-0 win over Leicester City in April 2018Fulham 0-4 Newcastle United
Ayoze Perez is one of four players to score 10 Premier League goals in 2019 along with Sadio Mane (14), Jamie Vardy (12) and Sergio Aguero (12)Leicester City 0-0 Chelsea
Chelsea ended the season in third position, the 13th time in the last 16 seasons they’ve finished in the top three of the Premier LeagueLiverpool 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Liverpool’s tally of 97 points would have been enough to win the Premier League in all but one of the previous 26 seasons of the competition, 2017/19Manchester United 0-2 Cardiff City
Manchester United have only kept two home clean sheets in the Premier League this season, their fewest at Old Trafford in a top-flight campaign since 1962/63, with twoSouthampton 1-1 Huddersfield Town
Nathan Redmond has scored as many Premier League goals under Ralph Hasenhuttl in 23 appearances (six) as he managed in his previous 75 Southampton matches beforehandTottenham Hotspur 2-2 Everton
Christian Eriksen’s goal for Tottenham Hotspur was the 1067th Premier League goal this season, breaking the previous record of 1066 goals in a 380-match campaign. In total, there were 1,072 goals in 2018/19Watford 1-4 West Ham United
Only Paolo Di Canio (47) has scored more Premier League goals for West Ham United than Mark Noble (42)

The incredible 2018/19 Premier League season ended with Man City reclaiming their title and a record for total goals scored set on the final day.

Christian Eriksen’s second-half equaliser for Tottenham Hotspur against Everton was the 1,067th goal of the campaign, edging ahead of the previous high set in 2011/12 – 1066 goals at 2.805 goals per match. With a further five goals scored after Eriksen’s, the season ended with 1,072 goals being scored. With the help of Crystal Palace’s eight-goal thriller against AFC Bournemouth and four goals being scored by Newcastle United, West Ham United and PL Champions Manchester City, the final day yielded 36 goals in total.

Only one final match round in the last 10 seasons has produced more goals, two seasons ago – 37.

Golden Boot
Three players shared the Golden Boot award after Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalled Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane as the top scorers in the 2018/19 Premier League, on 22 goals each. It is the first time three players have shared the award since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Michael Owen and Dwight Yorke in 1998/99.

Salah led the race going into the final day, but he could not add to his 22 goals. Mane struck twice in second-placed Reds’ 2-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers to tie with his Liverpool team-mate. Arsenal’s Aubameyang also netted twice, in a 3-1 win at Burnley, and he was the man who threatened to take the award on his own as he missed a late chance to claim a hat-trick.

Mane and Aubameyang have won the award for the first time, while Salah has claimed the Golden Boot in back-to-back seasons, after scoring 32 times in 2017/18.

Playmaker Award
Chelsea’s Eden Hazard claimed the 2018/19 Premier League Playmaker of the Season Award even though he played only 21 minutes in the final match of the season. Hazard had 15 assists going into the final day, one ahead of Ryan Fraser.

The Belgian was rested to the bench by Maurizio Sarri at Leicester City while Fraser started at Selhurst Park for AFC Bournemouth. But Fraser was unable to pull level despite AFC Bournemouth scoring three times against Crystal Palace.

So, even though he came off the bench on 69 minutes Hazard did not need to add to his tally to become the second player to claim the award, presented by Cadbury.

The inaugural Playmaker Award was won last season by Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.

The Liverpool goalkeeper shut out Wolverhampton Wanderers in his side’s 2-0 win on the final day to win the award, which was presented to him by Paul Graves, a Reds fan selected by Cadbury. Alisson earned the award outright after Ederson, who was also on 20 clean sheets going into the last match, conceded in Manchester City’s 4-1 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.

It is only the second Premier League season where more than one goalkeeper has kept 20 clean sheets.

Edwin van der Sar won out on that occasion with 21 to Pepe Reina’s 20 in 2008/09. Only Petr Cech has kept more clean sheets than Alisson in a season, with 24, for Chelsea in 2004/05.

Manager Of The Season
Pep Guardiola was named the Barclays Manager of the Season for the second consecutive year after guiding Manchester City to consecutive Premier League titles.

The Spaniard’s team were crowned champions on the final day thanks to a 4-1 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion which took them to 98 points, the second-most ever reached in a PL season behind only the 100 they themselves managed last term.

In beating runners-up Liverpool by one point Guardiola became only the third manager in PL history to retain the title, after Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho. The 48-year-old beat fellow nominees Nuno Espirito Santo, Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino after votes from the public were combined with those of a panel of football experts to decide the winner.

KEY STATS

RECORD BREAKERSFrom the youngest-ever Premier League player to the fastest goal in history, see the records that were matched or broken this season

Oldest goalscorer combination
Bruno’s assist for Glenn Murray for Brighton against Wolves in October was the oldest assister to scorer combination in PL history, aged 73 years and 57 daysSessegnon ushers in new age
When he netted against Cardiff City in October, Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon became the first player born in or after the year 2000 to score a PL goalSarri’s unbeaten start
Chelsea’s Maurizio Sarri remained unbeaten in his first 12 PL matches, a record for a manager at the start of his career in the competitionWin or lose for drawless Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur set a PL record of going 28 matches without a draw from the start of the season. Spurs also became the only team to ever go a whole campaign without drawing awayMost away wins and least overall draws
There was a higher ratio of away wins than in any other previous campaign, at 34 per cent, while the 71 draws across the entire season were the fewest in PL historyAge just a number for oldest manager
Crystal Palace’s Roy Hodgson became the oldest manager to take charge of a PL match. He was aged 71 years and 276 days when his side put five past AFC Bournemouth on the final daySolskjaer makes Man Utd history
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became the first Manchester United manager in history to win his first six league matches in charge of the clubMost exclusive assists
All five of Diogo Jota’s assists have been for Wolves team-mate Raul Jimenez, the most assists exclusively by one player for anotherLong’s fastest goal
Southampton’s Shane Long scored the fastest goal in PL history, netting after just 7.69 seconds against Watford in AprilYoungest player
Aged 16 years and 30 days, Harvey Elliott became the youngest PL player when he featured against Wolves in May, breaking the record previously held by Matthew Briggs, also of Fulham, in May 2007 (16y 68d)Highest-scoring season
The 1,072 goals scored made 2018/19 the highest-scoring 20-team PL season, with Eddie Nketiah’s goal for Arsenal at Burnley in the fourth minute of stoppage time the lastMost assists by a defender
Trent Alexander-Arnold set up 12 goals for Liverpool, the most assists by a defender in a single PL seasonMost points combined for top two
Manchester City and Liverpool earned a combined 195 points, the most by the top two clubs at the end of a top-flight seasonMan City match own feat of most wins
City won 32 PL matches, equalling their own record from 2017/18 for most victories in a single campaign

EA SPORTS FIFA TEAM OF THE SEASON
No surprises that league champion Manchester City and runner up Liverpool feature heavily, with a combined total of 13 players from the two clubs as voted for by E-Sports professionals and FIFA influencers. Standouts from Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea, Leicester City and newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers round out the 20 man squad.

Following the PL win, Man City became the first men’s team in history to win the English domestic treble, beating Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Not since the all-conquering Arsenal Ladies team of 2007 has a team won the FA Cup, League Cup and Premier League title.

Only twice in FA Cup final history has a team scored more than four goals — Bury in 1903 and Blackburn in 1890. City equaled Bury’s all-time record for biggest FA Cup final victory, as Sterling scored two quickfire goals inside the last 10 minutes to make it 6-0.

It completes a remarkable year for City as Pep Guardiola becomes one of just seven managers to win all three major domestic trophies in England.

City’s triumph means Man Utd, who finished sixth in the PL, will enter the 2019/20 UEFA Europa League at the group stage while Wolves are into the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round for finishing seventh.

On another note, away from the EPL, English clubs created European football history by taking all four final spots in the continent’s two major competitions. Arsenal won in Valencia and Chelsea beat Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday to reach the Europa League final. That followed dramatic wins for Liverpool over Barcelona and Tottenham against Ajax in the Champions League.

It is the first time all four finalists in Europe’s top two competitions have come from one nation.

TEAM REVIEWManchester City
The first team to retain the title for 10 years, City are worthy champions. They were pushed all the way by an excellent Liverpool, but to reach 98 points (after amassing 100 last season) is quite incredible.Grade: A+

Liverpool
There is plenty of sympathy for Liverpool after they finished second with 97 points. That total would have won 116 of the previous 119 titles yet against Manchester City, it wasn’t enough.Grade: A

Chelsea
A strange season at Stamford Bridge where coach Maurizio Sarri has not always endeared himself to fans. Still, he steered them to third and, with the final of the Europa League to come, this could end up being a very successful season.Grade: B+

Tottenham Hotspur
With no new signings, injuries to key players and a move to a new stadium during the season, Spurs must be happy with again qualifying for the Champions League. Their stunning European form, which sees them play in the Champions League final next month, means they deserve nothing less than an A.Grade: A

Arsenal
Like Chelsea, a mixed bag for a team with a new coach for the season. Unai Emery’s side showed promise in patches but ultimately a poor defensive record cost them a Champions League qualifying place. However, beat Chelsea in the Europa League final and they can still qualify, which might justify a higher grade.Grade: B

Manchester United
For a club like United, sixth is a failure and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who replaced Jose Mourinho mid-season has a lot to do in the summer.Final position: 6thGrade: D

Wolves
Plenty expected Wolves to do well in their first season back in the Premier League and they delivered. If, as expected, they add to the squad in the transfer window, challenging for a European spot next season is a possibility.Grade: A

Everton
An inconsistent campaign at Goodison Park perhaps best summed up in December, when Everton lost 6-2 at home to Spurs before beating Burnley 5-1 away in the next match. Form improved at the end of the season but really Everton want to be challenging for a place in the top six.Grade: C

Leicester City
Another side who parted company with their manager when Claude Puel was sacked in February. Results have improved under new boss Brendan Rodgers and fans will be quietly optimistic about next season.Grade: C

West Ham United
Started the season with four defeats in a row so to recover and finish in the top half showed some character. Finished the season strongly and the fans will expect a top eight finish next campaign.Grade: C+

Watford
Watford owners had pushed their luck in changing their manager yet again, but Javi Gracia did an excellent job. Far from being relegated (as expected), Watford finished a comfortable 11th and featured in the FA Cup final against Man City.Grade: A

Crystal Palace
One place lower than last season, Palace will be satisfied with a season where they never looked like being in a relegation scrap. The highlight of the season must be the extraordinary 3-2 win at Manchester City, including the goal of the season from Andros Townsend.Final position: 12thGrade: B-

Newcastle United
Rafael Benitez got the most he could from a limited squad and it’s no surprise fans are desperate for him to stay. The main priority at the start of the season would have been avoiding relegation and that was achieved comfortably.Grade: B

Bournemouth
The smallest club in the league, Bournemouth again survived without many issues and will play a fifth consecutive season in the Premier League. Impressive results included a 4-0 win against Chelsea, a 4-0 win away at Watford and a 5-0 win away at Brighton.Grade: B+

Burnley
A challenging season for the Clarets who surpassed all expectations the previous year to finish 7th. With the distraction of European competition stretching the squad this campaign, Burnley looked in trouble at the halfway point in the season. Credit must go to boss Sean Dyche for rallying his troops to the magic 40-point mark that saw them avoid relegation.Grade: C

Southampton
Saints had a squad capable of a top-half finish but they had a disastrous start to the season with one win in 14. That was enough to see Mark Hughes sacked and Ralph Hasenhüttl appointed. Hasenhüttl did enough to see Southampton to safety but will surely look to make changes in the summer transfer window.Grade: D

Brighton
The second season in the Premier League can often be the undoing of recently-promoted clubs and Brighton found this season tough, particularly after Christmas. Ultimately though, the main priority was survival and they live to fight another season in the Premier League.Grade: C

Cardiff City
Cardiff always looked like they would struggle this season but in the end one extra win would have been enough to stay up. They go straight back down to the Championship but can be proud of the way they responded this season after six defeats in their opening eight. The big focus now will be regrouping for a promotion challenge next season.Grade: C-

Fulham
Big things were expected from Fulham in their first campaign back in the Premier League but they never recovered from an opening half of the season in which they won just twice. They were relegated by the start of April and Scott Parker – their third manager of the season – has a big job to rebuild confidence in the summer.Grade: D-

Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield surprised a lot of people by avoiding relegation last year, but the ‘second-season syndrome’ got them. They won only three matches all season and suffered the joint-earliest relegation in Premier League history.Grade: D-

Who Made Your Super 8 This Season?

Until next time folks… Cheerio!

]]>[Cricket] World Cup 2019 Countdown – 10 Days To Go And Time For The Warm-ups To Begin!http://blog.super8.in/cricket-world-cup-2019-countdown-10-days-to-go-and-time-for-the-warm-ups-to-begin/
Sun, 19 May 2019 15:34:12 +0000http://blog.super8.in/?p=3116The World Cup is just 10 days away and things have started to get serious. Since the last major cricketing event was the Indian T20 League 2019, there is a need to get out... more]]>The World Cup is just 10 days away and things have started to get serious. Since the last major cricketing event was the Indian T20 League 2019, there is a need to get out of the 20 over style of play and switch on to the more relaxed ODI mode. That is where the official ICC Cricket World Cup warm up matches come into effect. Though some teams like hosts England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have preparatory camps that are ongoing, the warm-up games, expected to give teams a better feel of the competition and pitches have been finalized and with it, the official broadcasters of the tournament across the world. ICC has confirmed that all 10 warm up matches will be telecast live.

All ten competing nations will play two official warm-up fixtures ahead of the tournament, which will take place at four venues across England and Wales. The fixtures will be held over five days between 24th & 28th May, and will be hosted at four of the official CWC19 Tournament Venues; the Bristol County Ground, Cardiff Wales Stadium, Hampshire Bowl and The Oval.

There are two warmup matches scheduled each day and the Indian team will play their two games on May 25th (vs New Zealand) and May 28th (vs Bangladesh) respectively. These matches are all day affairs and will begin at 03.00pm IST.

As per previous ICC tournaments, warm-up fixtures will be 50 over per side, but will not carry official ODI status, as teams can field all members of their 15-man squad during the match.

SCHEDULE

The warm-up matches will give the teams the opportunity to get accustomed to the playing conditions in England and also a chance to fine-tune their playing XIs. Also, with regard to these matches, the teams are free to experiment with their lineups and test players for fitness issues.

The 2019 edition of the World Cup is going to be a radically different version from 2015 and these warm up matches will go a long way in preparing teams for what lies ahead. There are only 10 teams that will be competing for the prize down from 14 four years ago. All of the teams will play each other once in the group stage and the top-4 sides qualify for the semi-finals. The top team after the group stage will play the fourth team in one semi-final while the second and the third team will play each other in the other semi-final. The winner of the semi-final will play each other in the final. This format ensures that each side plays the same opponents to determine which the best four sides are. It is similar to the 1992 World Cup format in most regards.

For Indian fans, all the matches will be telecast on Star Sports. Matches will also be streamed live on Hotstar for fans who are unable to watch on TV. However, users are compelled to pay subscription fees to access all World Cup-related content on the Hotstar app and the website.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Managing Director, Steve Elworthy, said: “It is always a huge milestone announcing an exciting warm-up schedule for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup as it really highlights just how close we are to the action getting underway this summer.

“These games provide another fantastic opportunity for fans to see world-class players at their local venue and allows the tournament to engage local schools and communities with another chance to get involved with the Cricket World Cup.”

BROADCAST CHANNELS AND LIVE STREAMING
While Star Sports network will telecast in India and other Sub Continent Countries, Fox Sports reserves the telecast rights for Australia. Live streaming will be available on Hotstar and Foxtel – respective OTT platforms .

]]>[Cricket] Indian T20 League 2019 – It’s A Wrap!http://blog.super8.in/cricket-indian-t20-league-2019-wrap/
Thu, 16 May 2019 09:37:20 +0000http://blog.super8.in/?p=3077After two months of pulsating T20 action, cricket fans have exactly two weeks to get their breath back before the ODI World Cup begins. Though the shortest cricketing format might not be the best criteria to judge ODI... more]]>After two months of pulsating T20 action, cricket fans have exactly two weeks to get their breath back before the ODI World Cup begins. Though the shortest cricketing format might not be the best criteria to judge ODI form, with the Indian T20 League being the last real competitive tournament of white-ball cricket, players’ overall form can still be relatively judged before they take the field in England and Wales. As we wrap up the T20 season and move on to the biggest cricketing extravaganza in the world, let’s have look back at the past two months and relive the magic that had the world at the edge of their seats.

2019 began amid concerns of ‘workload management’ and worries around the amount players would want to invest with a World Cup around the corner. But after over 51 days and 60 matches, all the skepticism was quashed, and the bar was raised higher.

Only one other season could better the six-hitting count of season 12 (785). Only one other season had seen two Super Overs contested in the same campaign. Never before had a batsman maintained a strike rate above 190 while hitting more than 350 runs in a season — this year, that peak was scaled by two men. Those two — Andre Russell and Hardik Pandya — were two of the top-most draws of the edition that has just passed us by, but they weren’t alone.

Eight teams, 59 matches, 18,292 runs, 627 wickets, 769 sixes and a shade under 50 days of high octane cricket, and, when the dust settled, 2019 narrowed down to the most expected two-horse tussle. Two seasoned, successful horses with six titles and 13 final appearances between them [eight for Chennai, 5 for Mumbai]. The two best teams of 2019, heck, the two best teams in League history faced off for the fourth time this season. And, this time the stakes were the highest! The El Clásico of all El Clásicos! Both searching for a 4th title in their 4th finals meeting. Finally, Mumbai were crowned the Champions of 2019, successfully defending a 150-run target.to defeat Chennai by 1 run to win an unprecedented fourth League title.

2019 was a summer of many firsts! Least of which was Captain Cool MS Dhoni losing his cool in full public view. MSD shocked the cricket fraternity with his public outrage in Jaipur and many wondered if the pressure of high octane T20 cricket had started to affect him. So what were the other firsts this season?

13 Instances of team’s fielding less than the maximum allowed four overseas players in the playing XI in this season – the most for any League edition, more than the double of six instances in 2017 which is the next most. In two matches both sides fielded less than four foreign players in the final XI – there was just a solitary such instance in the 11 previous years.

11 Points earned by Bangalore who finished at the bottom of the points table, which happens to be the highest ever for a wooden spoon holder in any edition of the League. Only seven points separated the league topper and the bottom-placed team which is the narrowest margin for any season. 12 out of the 60 matches (20%) were decided by slim margins making it one of the closest ever fought – by ten or fewer runs or won by the chasing side in the last over with required runs at the start of the over eight or above.

32 Total number of changes made by Punjab to the playing XI from the previous match – the most by any side in 2019. Punjab’s inconsistency in selection is further underlined by the fact they never played an unchanged XI in two successive games.

12 Teenagers featured in 2019 – the second most in any season barring the inaugural edition in 2008. The 12 players combined featured in 72 matches which is the third most in a season behind 94 and 88 matches in 2008 and 2018 respectively. Bangalore spinner Prayas Ray Barman (16y 157d) became the youngest League cap while Rajasthan’s Riyan Parag became the youngest to score a fifty. Prithvi Shaw narrowly missed becoming the youngest centurion when he wast dismissed for 99 against Kolkata in Delhi.

13 Instances of team scoring 50-plus runs in the last three overs of an innings – the most in any season. Just to bring in perspective, there were as many instances in the last three seasons combined. No team ever previously scored as many in the last three overs in a successful chase but happened twice this season – Kolkata scoring 54 in 2.4 overs against Hyderabad and 53 in 2.1 against Bangalore, Andre Russell the chief protagonist in both heists.

9.34 More balls taken by Chennai for hitting a six in 2019 compared to the last season – a six every 13 balls last year to one every 22 balls this time around. Chennai took a different route to the finals this season – from being the best batting side last year they were the best bowling side in this edition.

5 This was the fifth season in which David Warner aggregated over 500 runs – the joint-most by any player alongside Virat Kohli and only player to do so in successive years (he didn’t play the 2018 season). He also went past Chris Gayle to become the leading run-getter among overseas players in the league – 4706 runs. He won the third Orange Cap award (leading run-getter in a season) surpassing Chris Gayle’s two.

50.09% The percentage contribution of partnership runs by Warner and Jonny Bairstow to Hyderabad’s total runs scored in the season (in the matches the duo featured) – highest for any pair with at least five partnerships in a season. The duo became the first in the history of the League to score three consecutive 100-plus stands, which they achieved it in their first three matches together.

4.79 Balls taken by Andre Russell to hit a six – the best ratio in a season for any batsman who faced a minimum of 100 balls. Russell cleared the ropes 52 times in the season which is the second most by a player in a League season, only behind Chris Gayle’s 59 maximums in 2012.

204.82 The strike rate for Russell in 2019 – the highest ever for a player facing at least 100 balls in a season – eclipsing his own record of 192.90 in 2015. At the other end of the spectrum is Ambati Rayudu who had a strike rate of 93.07 – the fewest among the 144 players facing at least 300 balls in an edition of the tournament.

263 Wickets taken by spinners this season – the second most in a single edition after 266 wickets from 13 more matches in 2011. Spinners accounted for 41% of the total wickets taken by the bowlers – a far cry from 2008 when it read 22% and fears loomed around whether the format would lead to the destruction of the ilk. For the fourth successive year, the wrist spinners (143) took a higher share of wickets compared to the finger spinners (120).

62 Wickets taken by Chennai’s spinners in this season – the most ever by spinners of a team in a single edition of the League. Imran Tahir tops the list with 26 scalps followed by Harbhajan Singh’s 16 and Ravindra Jadeja’s 15.

56 Wickets taken by Kolkata this season – the fewest ever by any team in any season of the League. They never took more than seven wickets in any of the matches this year. None from Kolkata featured in the top 20 list of leading wicket-takers for the season.

26 Wickets taken by Imran Tahir this season – the highest by a spinner in a single edition surpassing 24 each by Sunil Narine and Harbhajan Singh in 2012 and 2013 respectively. 24 of Tahir’s victims came in the middle overs – the most ever for a bowler between overs seven and 15 in a season.

23.52% The success percentage for DRS referrals (decisions overturned) in 2019 – from 34.52 last year. Out of the 68 decisions referred, only 16 were overturned compared to 29 out of 84 last year. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dinesh Karthik and Kane Williamson all had five referrals each as captain with none of the decisions overturned. MS Dhoni was yet again the master of DRS calls getting three decisions overturned out of seven referrals.

Consistent as usual, Kohli didn’t have the best of starts to the tournament but really came into his own in the second half. He smashed a ton against Kolkata to take his side home. Even though Bangalore finished at the bottom of the table, Kohli was one of the star performers for his team. But one thing which teams might take note of is Kohli’s weakness against quality spin bowling which was exploited by the likes of Imran Tahir and Shreyas Gopal. Indian fans though wouldn’t be worried too much as well all know that when in blue, Kohli is a totally different player and one who will be looking to make it count in his first World Cup as captain.

Rohit Sharma (Matches – 15 Runs – 405 Average – 28.92 50s – 2)

Rohit had a rather odd-season to say the least. Despite performing better than the previous two seasons, he lacked a match-winning performance, something which we have associated with him for so long in white-ball cricket. He opened the innings in all the matches to prepare for the World Cup and certainly formed a lethal partnership along with Quinton de Kock. He had only two half-centuries to his name in the tournament but the performances around him were enough to take Mumbai to yet another trophy. His captaincy was top notch once again and was one of the key reasons behind Mumbai’s success. He will be looking to rediscover his ability of scoring big once the World Cup begins.

Shikhar Dhawan (Matches – 16 Runs – 521 Average – 34.73 50s – 5)

Dhawan was traded to Delhi before the start of the season and the experienced opener played his part in taking the team to the playoffs for the first time in eight years. He was one of the few seasoned campaigners in an otherwise young team and that showed. The left-hander also registered his highest T20 score by smashing an unbeaten 97 against Kolkata. Interestingly, he didn’t start well with his scoring rate coming under the radar, but ever since Ponting’s jibe in the media where he said he expected more from Dhawan, the southpaw simply raised his game a level and was back to the Dhawan of old. He will be backing himself to succeed in England, where he has a good record in multi-lateral tournaments.

KL Rahul (Matches – 14 Runs – 593 Average – 42.06 50s/100 – 6/1)

Rahul’s form will certainly be good news for the Indian team management. Even though he opened the innings for Punjab, the composure and temperament he showed might well encourage India to slot him at no.4 in the World Cup playing XI. Though selectors said that Vijay Shankar will be India’s no.4, Rahul offers a more solid batting option. He played a key role in the six wins Punjab had in the season and showed that if he can get going, he will surely be a match-winner for India. The pitches in England will also suit his strokeplay.

Kedar Jadhav (Matches – 14 Runs – 162 Average – 18.00 50s – 1)

Jadhav has been a major letdown in this season. Expected to be the mainstay for the Chennai middle-order, the right hander scored just one half-century and aggregated only 162 runs. Even though the pitch in Chennai was a bit on the slow side and it was difficult for any new batsman coming in, the fact that their top-order was out of form meant Jadhav had time to play himself in, which he couldn’t. He scored 58 against Mumbai at Wankhede but even that came in a losing cause. The fact that Dhoni didn’t decide to use his bowling didn’t help either. He hurt his shoulder in the last group game but is expected to be fit before the World Cup.

MS Dhoni (Matches – 15 Runs – 416 Average – 83.20 50s – 3)

The ‘Thala’ of Chennai once again showed why he is such a vital cog in the yellow army machine which keeps on surprising everyone. He was the highest run-scorer for the team and did the job consistently with the bat. Despite the top-order being woefully out of form, Chennai ensured a top-two finish in the league and managed to reach the finals, largely thanks to Dhoni. He was safe as a house behind the stumps and his tactical acumen as a captain was second to none. Kohli will once again be relying on ‘Captain Cool’ to get the team out of tough situations with the bat and also use his mind in the field.

Pandya had been under the pump and was making a comeback after being suspended for reasons already well documented. However, the all-rounder showed why he is so vital to Kohli’s plans for lifting the World Cup. Pandya had his best season with the bat, registering his highest aggregate and highest strike rate in a season. He also scored a 17-ball half-century and was striking the ball excellently against both pace as well as spin. He was “in the zone” as they say and almost anything he tried came off. He also picked wickets but was a bit expensive and had the tendency to leak boundaries; that is something he would like to correct going into the World Cup.

Ravindra Jadeja (Matches – 16 Runs – 106 Average – 35.33 Wickets -15)

Jadeja has been included in the World Cup squad over an extra pacer and he showed why this season. It’s the control which he offers along with the accuracy. Playing on spin friendly tracks in Chennai helped him, but he is likely to play a role in the latter half of the World Cup when the pitches will be a bit more tired. He can go through his overs quickly and can be difficult to get away for batsmen. Though his batting prowess wasn’t on display for Chennai, it wasn’t required on most occasions.

Dinesh Karthik (Matches – 14 Runs – 253 Average – 31.62 50s – 2)

Karthik too had a rather ordinary season, amongst his worst with the bat actually. He did smash an unbeaten 97 at Eden Gardens but even that came in a losing cause. What makes it worse is the fact that Eden Gardens was one of the best pitches to bat on. The added responsibility of captaincy didn’t really help either with constant rumours of there being a tiff in the dressing room. He will be hoping to put it all well and truly behind him as he prepares for the World Cup.

Vijay Shankar (Matches – 15 Runs – 244 Average – 20.33)

Shankar was yet another player who had a disappointing outing this year. Traded to Hyderabad, this was expected to be the season when he would take the tournament by storm, considering his ODI and Test call-ups. He would play a couple of good shots but end up throwing his wicket away. He wasn’t called onto bowl as well, delivering a total of 48 balls in the tournament and picking only one wicket. He could well have hurt his chances of making it to the playing XI in the World Cup with such returns.

Well, all that could go wrong did go wrong for Kuldeep this year. A Flat pitch and small dimensions at the Eden Gardens didn’t help and he was taken to the cleaners in almost every game he played. Only against Delhi at Kotla did he show glimpses of his earlier self as he pulled back the game to take it to a superover but otherwise he looked a shadow of a player he is. In fact, his last game against Bangalore, saw him in tears and on the ground with his teammates coming to lift his spirits. Kuldeep didn’t play after that and will be hoping to forget this season as he is expected to be India’s trump card with the ball.

Consistent as always for Bangalore, Chahal was an early contender for the Purple Cap. The fact that he continued to be the most impressive Bangalore bowler on a flat track and small ground in Chinnaswamy speaks volumes about the kind of skills he possesses. He was often used in the powerplay by Virat Kohli, and he almost always delivered for his captain. India have often gone for Kuldeep ahead of Chahal whenever they decide to play just one spinner but it will be interesting to see whether that remains the case now, given the kind of season both these players have had.

The pacer did have an injury scare in the early part of the season but he has once again been sensational for Mumbai. Rohit relied on him to pick wickets and to contain the opposition in the death, a job quite similar to the one he will do for India in the World Cup. He has been accurate with his line and length, being one of the key reasons for another successful season for Mumbai. The way he won the game against Bangalore at Chinnaswamy by getting Kohli out showed how important an asset he is. He was also the star in the final, bowling a sensational 19th over to keep Mumbai in the game. Indian fans will just be hoping that he recovers from the toils of the League in the two-week break and can start afresh in the World Cup

Mohammed Shami – M-14 W-19 A-24.68 E-8.68

Shami has been a transformed bowler in white-ball cricket and he showed that by having his best season with the ball yet. He was the leader of the attack in an inexperienced Punjab bowling line-up along with Ravichandran Ashwin. Effective at the death and in the powerplay, Shami picked up wickets at the right moment for Punjab. His form might see him pip Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a spot in the playing XI in the World Cup if India decides to play two fast bowlers with Hardik Pandya the third seaming option.

Bhuvi struggled to be amongst the wickets in this year’s tournament and that cost his team Hyderabad. He has usually been their go to bowler at the death or whenever the team needs wickets. In fact, he faltered quite a lot in death and wasn’t accurate with his yorkers which proved to be costly. However, an economy of below 8 is praiseworthy. He also led the team in Kane Williamson’s absence and that could well have had a detrimental effect on his own performance. He will back himself to deliver in the World Cup though as conditions in England will suit his bowling style.

SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT

MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli reign supreme on Twitter while Chennai were the most-talked-about team 2019. Mumbai led the battle of mentions during the tense final.

While Virat Kohli’s Bangalore finished with a wooden spoon, the India captain was among the top-three most-talked-about players during the 12th edition of the T20 league, finishing behind Chennai captain MS Dhoni, who reigned supreme in the list of most-talked-about players. Title-winning Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma completed the top 3 in the data provided by Twitter India.

Helping raise a few eyebrows, Chennai off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was more popular than big-hitting Kolkata superstar Andre Russell who took the league by storm, hitting 52 sixes in just 14 matches. Hardik Pandya, Chris Gayle, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and David Warner also made the top 10 and in that order.

Unsurprisingly, the most-tweeted-about match was the final between Mumbai and Chennai in Hyderabad.

When it comes to the most-talked-about team during, runners-up Chennai, led by MS Dhoni, took the honours. Mumbai were second on the list while Bangalore and Kolkata also made the top 4 even as they finished outside the top 4 in the 2019 points table.

The Golden Tweet was this from Mumbai’s Hardik Pandya acknowledging MS Dhoni as his friend and source of inspiration. Dhoni and Pandya played each other in the final, but this Tweet shows the strong sportsmanship between opposing League sides. The Tweet received nearly 16,000 Retweets.

As expected, it was a summer of some breathtaking action, and some extraordinary individual performances lit the stage to quell any murmurs of a ‘low-key’ season in the build-up to the ICC World Cup.

From Andre Russell’s mad-max hitting to Hardik Pandya’s sensational all-round campaign, and from Kagiso Rabada’s supreme skill with the ball to David Warner’s rousing return to the top – 2019 was graced by some unforgettable heroics.

But for some, the season will fade away as a memory to forget as soon as possible. Even the best fall down sometimes, and for a select group of players, the season gone by was a huge leveller.

Until next time, from all of us at Super 8, see you on the other side folks!